School of Performing Arts
Eastridge Highschool
Title of Lesson: Popular and Social Dance
Unit of Study: 20th and 21st Century Teenage Dance Forms
Grade Level: 9-12
Objective of Lesson: Students will analyze popular/social dance forms of their teenage
culture as well as explore popular/social dance forms of the 20th century.
Brief Description of the Lesson: This lesson will focus on popular teenage dance and
how media, music, and pop culture influence and create new dance styles. The lesson
will begin by defining what popular and social dance is. Students will brainstorm and list
popular and social dances. Students will then identify dance forms that grew out of or
were influenced by historical events of the time period, popular music, and movies. The
instructor will then open a discussion surrounding the question, “Does mass media
influence art, or does art influence mass media?” Students will choose a popular or social
dance form of the 20th or 21st century to research and create a movement study around.
Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of the lesson students will be able to:
 Identify specific factors that influence the creation or development
of popular and social dance.
 Define the difference between popular and social dance.
 Create a group movement study based on their research of popular
and social dance.
 Plan logical steps and organize resources to accomplish a task
within a given time frame.
 Evaluate information, explanations, or ideas by applying criteria to
draw conclusions or make predictions.
 Synthesize information from several sources to apply that
information to a new situation.
 Demonstrate and apply critical thinking skills in dance.
The Lesson
I.
Introduction/Anticipatory Set: The instructor engages the students in a
short discussion on popular and social dance by asking the following
questions:
 What are some of the reasons you think people dance?
 What factors do you think influence dance forms?
 How would you define popular and social dance?
II. Discussion: The instructor will inform the class of the definition and difference
between social and popular dance. The instructor makes two columns on the
board one for social dance and one for popular dance.
III. Brainstorm: Students brainstorm and list popular and social dance forms of their
teenage culture placing the dances in the appropriate column on the board. The
students identify which dances have been influenced by songs or film. The
instructor then makes columns on the board covering the time period of the
1950’s through the 1990’s. Students brainstorm and list popular dances, music,
and films of each time period.
IV. Discussion: Instructor then guides the students through historical events of each
time period and how these events shaped teenage culture and the emergence of
new and developing popular and social dance.
V. Movement Study – Mixing it up! Creating New Popular and Social Dances:
Students will research a popular/social dance form of their teenage culture and
type a 1 page paper including the following:
1. The origin or history of the dance
2. What types of movements/steps are done?
3. Any historical factors that may have influenced the dance.
After completing their homework assignment, students will share interesting facts
and findings from their essay with the class. Each student will receive a flashcard
with the name of the dance they researched on it. Students will be broken into
random groups and create a movement study based on the following criteria:
 Students will discuss with their group how they are going to combine
different genres of dance to create a “new popular/social dance form”.
Students will be asked to discuss the movement’s similarities,
differences, style, and how they can break apart and combine different
aspects of the dances to create new movements or steps.
 Students will decide how they will organize their movement study so it
has a clear beginning, middle, and end.
 Students will give their “new dance” a name.
 Students will have 20 minutes to choreograph a movement phrase, no
longer than 1 minute in length. Each member of the group must
contribute to the choreography.
 Each group will present their movement study to the class.
 Each group should be prepared to discuss what steps/styles they mixed
and why.
Closure/Reflection: Students will complete the following self evaluation in their
journals:
1. What was the task to be completed? Be thorough in your answer, explain the
process.
2. Did you meet the goals of the task? List the “steps” you and/or your group took
to meet those goals.
3. What did you learn from completing this task?
4. What could you have done to make your work on this task better or more
thorough?
5. In completing this task, I am most proud of…
6. What did you dislike about this task and why?
7. What did you like about this task and why?
Assessment Strategies:
 Rubric for movement study (see attached). Where the students able to
work collaboratively in small groups and create a “new dance”? Where
the students able to maintain strong focus during the presentation and
defend their movement choices?
 Did the students’ reflection address the concepts learned in the lesson?
Was the student able to reflect upon their performance?
Independent Practice/Homework:
Research a popular/social dance from your teenage culture. Type a 1 page paper about
what you learned including the following:
4. The origin or history of the dance
5. What types of movements/steps are done?
6. Any historical factors that may have influenced the dance.
Be prepared to share your findings with the class. Next class you will create and share
a one minute movement study based on dance(s) of your teenage culture.
New York Learning Standards:
Standard 1: Creating, Performing, and Participating in the Arts.
Standard 2: Knowing and Using Arts Materials and Resources.
Standard 3: Responding to and Analyzing Works of Art.
Standard 4: Understanding the Cultural Dimensions and Contributions of the Arts.